


that ain't a stoop, that's your throne

by LuckyGirl17



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 03:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8473465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyGirl17/pseuds/LuckyGirl17
Summary: It was odd, Benny decided, to be discussing the prince, and plans for the prince’s sword, and the prince’s preferences, as though it were not him, as though he were not there. But the feeling of oddness was overwhelmed with a sense of freedom. He was not required to be the prince in this moment, with this man. “Please,” he said, waving his hand lightly, warmth effusing through his voice, “drop the ‘sir.’ I much prefer Benny,” he explained.“Benny it is then” he replied back, sounding pleased, a wide smile spreading over his face.





	1. the meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aswonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aswonder/gifts).



> for aswonder, who sent me this prompt forever ago and probably thought i forgot about it. it actually just wouldn't let me go and spiraled out like crazy. this is officially the longest thing i've ever written.

_ Woomph. _

Benny landed on the ground outside the far castle wall gracefully, a practiced habit from when he’d been rebellious, had snuck out beyond the estate grounds simply for the knowledge that he was breaking the rules by doing so. Life inside the castle could be so constrained by custom, by propriety. Especially for him as the prince, always expected to be in the right place at the right time, expected to say the right things, a pleasant smile on his face no matter who he was speaking with at the time.

Taking a look around and checking behind him to be sure no one had seen him go, the familiar adrenaline rush of going against the rules swept through him once more, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It was always so much more fun, traveling without an official castle escort and guard. So much more normal. 

He’d been breaking this rule in particular for years, never caring that it would be  _ unseemly _ for a prince to be caught sneaking out of his own castle. His coronation was a mere three months away; his time would be much more limited as a king. He’d resolved to enjoy the relative leniency while he still had it, had taken to scaling the walls surrounding the castle like he’d had when he was younger. He always returned before it would become apparent that he’d gone, holding the stolen moments outside the castle walls dear. 

He loved his country; there was not a moment where he was ungrateful for the chance to serve it at the highest level. It was only that sometimes the pressure got to be too much, the idea of a nation looking to him to lead, to make the right decision again and again, trusting him with their lives and their livelihoods. He was acutely aware of his responsibilities to his people; most days, it spurred him to study harder, to train more, to do as much as he could to prepare. Some days, it lead to him hopping over the wall, pretending for at least a moment that there was no weight on his shoulders at all.

Making his way down the path into town, he glanced down at his clothes and frowned - they were his most plain, but still a far cry from common, he knew. It would be obvious, from that and the direction from which he came, that he’d be coming from the castle. Still, he hoped that he wouldn’t be immediately recognizable as the prince. 

Not too many people outside of the council and the ever-present castle staff had ever really seen him up close. The townspeople would only ever have seen him dressed immaculately, standing on a balcony during official events and holidays. Certainly, they wouldn’t expect him to be wandering down the streets. Even if they caught the resemblance, they wouldn’t assume him to be who he was. He just needed not to draw attention to himself.

Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. 

His story, if asked, was that he was simply running an errand for the castle, on his way to the blacksmith’s shop. It was a longstanding tradition, for each new king to be given a sword at their coronation. It was to be more ceremonial than useful, of course. The elaborate designs and usually ostentatious jewelling more often than not rendered them useless for any practical purpose. 

And, technically, he wasn’t supposed to see the sword until it was presented to him, but that wasn’t about to stop him. He was excited to check on its progress, to see it being formed, prepared much in the same way he was preparing himself to accept it. To see the designs, the sword being forged, would impress upon him the reality of what he was soon about to do.

It seemed daunting, the coronation. The assumption of so much more responsibilities, of so much more publicity. Benny felt as though there were never any way he could be fully prepared and he drew little comfort from his advisors and predecessors saying that it was a common feeling, that he’d do spectacularly, that the people loved him already.

His thoughts, his doubts of his readiness, consumed his mind until he was surprised to find himself already approaching the center of town. Giddiness filled him at the simple, wonderful feeling of adventure he got from wandering into town and he ducked inside the shop, ruffling his hair in an attempt to make him seem more unpolished, less like he might be the prince.

A bell overhead tinkled at his arrival as he looked around - it felt remarkably comfortable, an obviously well-loved shop. Almost like a home, with little trinkets and personal belongings strewn all over. A pleasant feeling of warmth settled in his chest and he walked towards one of the displays, drawn in by the intricacy of some of the designs.

A voice coming from back behind the counter startled him from his closer inspection of the metal-work hanging on the walls. “How may I help you?” he asked, a friendly tone to his voice, but clearly having said this multiple times already today. Benny startled a little, not having heard him enter from the back, but part of him thrilled at it, at the idea that he was just another person going about their life.

Benny spun around, taking a look at the man who startled him. Kind, dark eyes sparkled with amusement at having taken him by surprise, a bright smile on his face. 

“Usnavi. Usnavi de la Vega.” Benny met his outstretched hand with a smile. It was smaller than his, though calloused through his work. He tracked his eyes down Usnavi’s face now that he was closer, still struck by his warm eyes, easy smile. It made him regret having to drop his hand.

The smile grew wider when Benny introduced himself as well. It would have been smarter, probably, to have not used his real name, but something about him made him want to be truthful. He wanted this man to know his name. And besides, he reasoned, only his very closest friends ever called him that. Certainly no one from town would think of him by that name.

Interrupting his train of thought, Usnavi repeated, “So, Benny, how can I help you?”

Dropping his gaze to the floor for a second, he said, “Ah, well, I’ve been sent by the castle.” The words came out in a nervous rush; he hadn’t really developed a plan for what he would do once he got here.

Eyes flitted down his body quickly and the smile turned into a smirk. “I knew it,” he said, sounding proud of himself for having been able to guess. “I could tell. No one around town wears clothes like that. Must be working for the royal family.”

A huff of laughter escaped him; so he’d been right earlier when assessing his clothes. There was no way he’d pass as a commoner. Still, there was no evidence that the man suspected him to be the prince himself, so Benny stuck to his story, said that he’d come to check on the progress made on the coronation sword. 

It was odd, Benny decided, to be discussing the prince, and plans for the prince’s sword, and the prince’s preferences, as though it were not him, as though he were not there. But the feeling of oddness was overwhelmed with a sense of freedom. He was not required to be the prince in this moment, with this man. 

An almost shy smile stole over his face when Benny complimented his design, assured him the prince would love it. “Thank you very much, sir,” he ducked his head down a little with the praise, inclining it further at the honorific.

“Please,” Benny said, waving his hand lightly, warmth effusing through his voice, “drop the ‘sir.’ I much prefer Benny,” he explained.

“Benny it is then” he replied back, sounding pleased, a wide smile spreading over his face. 

Something in Benny made him reluctant to leave, so he wandered around the place, asking questions about different pieces in the shop, about the small personal touches lying around.

Blacksmithing had been his parents’ career, the shop theirs before it became his. Watching him gesture with his hands as he excitedly discussed his work, Benny marveled at his obvious enthusiasm, the way his whole face lit up when he got passionate about a certain topic.

He could watch him forever. Warmth settled in his chest and a soft smile crossed his face. 

In the distance, a bell chimed four and Benny’s head snapped up. He’d be missed at the castle, had been gone far too long already. Regretfully, he said his goodbyes to Usnavi. 

Climbing back over the castle wall, he realized that he still has a smile on his face. Perhaps he’d find some excuse in the coming days to pay another trip to the blacksmith’s. He was already plotting ways to ditch his guard once again, to make it into town. 

He’d found more than just his sword designs in that little store. He couldn’t wait to go back.


	2. the falling

The next weeks passed in a blur of meetings and briefings, Benny learning over and over again exactly what would need to be done on the day of his coronation, and then every day after, when he ruled over the kingdom. If pressed, he’s not sure he could say what, precisely, he’d been taught in each meeting, but the responsibilities and tasks being pressed upon him loomed ever closer as the day came nearer and nearer.

It invaded his dreams, even, his subconscious replaying the scenes over and over again until he felt that there was no possible way he could ever forget the immense pressure being placed upon him.

The bright spots of his weeks were those times when he managed to carve out time for himself. Slipping his guard remained as easy as ever and Benny found himself over the castle wall more frequently than he ever had in the past, a smile on his face as he made his way to the town, to Usnavi.

Surely, by now, the castle knew that there were times when he disappeared. In the past, he’d always exercised caution, making sure not to leave too frequently and to be back before he’d be missed. Some of that had slipped away while he was with Usnavi, always as reluctant to leave as the first time he’d come by his shop. The cozy back room had become a place of refuge for him, hiding from the way the future seemed to be closing in around him, soothed by the sounds of Usnavi’s voice and his laughter, bright and infectious.

Even if he wanted to, Benny wasn’t sure he could stay away if he tried. He showed up whenever he could find the time, heart pounding with something more than adrenaline now as he climbed over the wall.

* * *

 

Joy still bubbled up inside him at the memory of the two of them at the market a few days earlier. The overwhelming colors, the cacophony of noise, the bustle of people each trying to sell their product. Excitement had raced through him, practically running through the stalls, wanting to see anything and everything on display. Usnavi’s laughter had trailed behind him, his hand laced through his so that they wouldn’t be separated.

“It’s like you’ve never been to the market before,” he had teased, a flush on his face, a little breathless.

Not wanting to admit that he hadn’t, that he’d always been too afraid of being recognized to dare attempt it, Benny had smiled at him, giving a simple shrug, saying, “It’s just much more exciting with you there.” He’d had nothing to compare it to, of course, but Benny was sure that the statement was true.

Benny’s heart squeezed a little in his chest at how Usnavi had blushed further and had pretended to grumble about how charming he was, tugging on his hand to lead him to his favorite booths in lieu of a response.

Watching him haggle down prices, interact with friends, eyes glowing and hands flying as he talked excitedly, Benny couldn’t keep the smile off his face. When Usnavi wasn’t looking, he doubled back slightly, buying a pastry that he’d been eyeing but ultimately passed by. He couldn’t help the laughter at the look of mock-offense on his face when he turned around to see Benny eating it right beside him.

* * *

 

Currently, Benny sat tucked into a corner of the castle’s library, alternately reading a few pages of the book in his hands and looking out the window, willing the rain to stop falling before it became too late to visit Usnavi. He’d come to depend on those bright moments, those moments of normalcy, to keep him sane in these weeks. Somehow, he felt that he’d come to depend on seeing him, on making him smile and blush and laugh.

A cough from behind him startled him from one of his reveries.

“Don’t tell me _this_ is where you disappear to when the rest of the castle can’t find you,” Nina rounded a bookshelf, a knowing smile on her face.

“Ah, so people do realize I’ve gone? They’ve never said,” Benny shrugged nonchalantly. It didn’t come as a surprise to him to have it confirmed that people had noticed his absence. His voice was obviously teasing, ignoring the question implicit in her statement and the growing smirk on Nina’s face told him that she knew he’d done so on purpose.

“I imagine,” she said, sitting down next to him, knocking her shoulders against his affectionately, “that they simply don’t want to admit that they can’t find the prince, seeing as looking after you is what most of the staff here are paid to do. How you always manage to circumvent them is a mystery to me.” Nina had tried to sound somewhat scolding, but Benny still heard a note of begrudging amusement in her voice. He met her eyes with smile, both of them clearly remembering all the times he’d come to her after getting in trouble for sneaking out again, as well as the time he’d managed to convince her to sneak out as well, to come into town. That day was still a point of pride for him, the utter exhilaration and wonder on her face made the scolding from the castle guard more than worth it.

He knocked his shoulders back against hers, explaining, “It’s easier than it should be, really. Tell some servants you’ll be in one place, tell others that you’ll be somewhere else. And then, be in neither of those places.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as though this were an obvious strategy.

“Right,” she said, drawn out and sarcastically fake-impressed, as though he’d said something entirely genius rather than something obvious that still didn’t answer her question.

A beat.

“I am curious, though. Where do you _go_?”

On instinct, Benny’s eyes darted to the window again. Still raining. He turned back to Nina, seeing her raise her eyebrows at him. She’d definitely noticed that, then.

“Town,” he admitted, stating it simply, knowing it’d be of no use to lie to her. The look on Nina’s face made it clear she knew that there had to be more to his answer and he took a deep breath, trying to find the words to describe Usnavi, what he meant to him and how he _felt_ about him. His eyes went back to the window as he gathered his thoughts.

“Ooh,” Nina breathed out knowingly, a sing-song quality about it. “I know that look. Who is he?”

Benny shut his eyes, shaking his head with a burst of laughter; of course she’d know just from the look on his face. They were far too close to hide anything between them.

He let the story pour out of him: the day they met and how he’d been drawn in by how easy it was to talk to him, his subsequent visits and how everything knew that he learned only made him admire him more, how he’d hoped to visit again today.

As he finished with all he had to say, he looked up at Nina, who was giving him a considering expression. “He’s a blacksmith,” she hummed, considering, as though testing the words. “Well, the court might not be too pleased, but if he puts that expression on your face, then I suppose it’s worth it, isn’t it?”

Benny smiled at her gratefully as she continued, “You’re the prince, soon to be the king. They’ll come around to it. And if he’s anywhere near as charming you say he is, the people will love him, too.”

A beat as she looked at him searchingly once more.

“Now, what’s stopping you from seeing him today?”

“It’s raining,” Benny offered with a shrug.

Nina looked at him, unimpressed with the answer. Her eyes went from him, to the window, back to him again, before narrowing in confusion. “So? The fact that you’ll get wet isn’t going to give away anything. The whole castle already knows that you leave.”

Benny looked back at the window, before a slow smile crept wide across his face.

* * *

 

Delighted laughter left him as he made his way into town through the rain. He was in no rush whatsoever. When was the last time he’d done this? Allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of rain washing over him?

He would have been disappointed to arrive at the blacksmith’s shop, were it not for the fact that Usnavi was inside. Soaked to the skin, he entered, beaming. The way Usnavi lit up upon seeing him made it clear that he’d made the right choice.


	3. the discovery

There was only one week left before his coronation, and truthfully, Benny really didn’t have the time to be drinking coffee in the backroom of the blacksmith’s shop with Usnavi. He hadn’t for quite a while. However, that was exactly where he was, talking to him about everything and nothing: town gossip, how his parents had come to open this shop and how he’d taken it on once they passed, favorite books, the time when he’d snuck into town, gone to the tavern and only returned to the castle the next morning once he was sober enough to find it. 

The light that came into his eyes as he laughed at his story captivated Benny, and he found himself staring, lowering the coffee cup back to the table when he’d only brought it halfway to his mouth to begin with. It was not the first time he’d been struck by how beautiful he looked, how much he wanted to kiss him. Every time before, he’d hesitated, shyly looking away before Usnavi could see the emotions that he was sure were clear on his face. This time, he let himself keep looking, not willing to drag his gaze away. 

A blush crept up Usnavi’s face as he realized that he was being looked at,  _ how _ he was being looked at. Warmth spread through him, feeling encouraged by his reaction and tentatively smiling at him.

Slowly, Benny reached out to cup his face in one of his hands, the heat of his blush obvious as he ran his thumb across his cheek with aching tenderness. Drawn in, Benny could feel himself leaning forward to kiss him, their eyes slipping shut at the first brush of their lips.

The tinkling of a bell startled them apart after no more than a mere brush of their lips.

Someone else had entered the shop. A glance at the clock standing in the corner told him that it was close to closing time and he silently cursed whoever was stopping by at such an hour for interrupting. Usnavi shot him an apologetic expression, his hand coming to rest on top of his where it was still holding his face close. 

With a smile that was a little rueful and very much fond, he shook his head a little at the apology written on Usnavi’s face. In no way was the interruption his fault.

Voices from the front floated into the back as they got closer to the counter and with a little swell of horror that he hoped didn’t show on his face, he recognized them as  _ actual _ castle staff. 

Benny considered wildly for a moment that perhaps they knew he was here, had known he’d been coming here all this time and would take him back to the castle, but he knew this was unlikely. He’d never been followed, as far as he was aware, and never been recognized either.

In a flash, the dawning realization of why they were here came to him. It was for the same reason he himself had first stopped by the shop. 

One week left until coronation. 

They’d be here to pick up the sword, a pretense for stopping by that Benny had long since dropped. In fact, he hadn’t even considered it in a quite a while.  _ Usnavi _ had become what was important. Sitting in his back room, drinking his coffee, he’d nearly forgotten entirely that he’d once had a reason other than his company to see him.

It was a terrible oversight, not to have anticipated this. 

Even worse was the conversation itself, castle gossip filling his ears.

“So, where do you think the prince even  _ goes _ ?” 

“Better question: how do the guards keep losing the prince?”

Benny shifted in his seat uncomfortably as one of them men out front cleared his voice and said in what he clearly thought was a whisper, “Rumor has it he’s got a lover somewhere. Some noble who came to town early to see him. That’s why the guards don’t stop him leaving. Best to just keep that kind of thing quiet, let it run its course, than to make a scene about it.”

He could feel Usnavi’s eyes on him, was sure the way he wasn’t able to meet his gaze gave him all the confirmation he needed.

The prince himself sat here in front of him.

“Benny,” he whispered, breathless and confused, hurt obvious in every syllable. 

He met his gaze sheepishly, opening his mouth to say something, anything at all. An apology, an explanation, a confession. 

A bell ringing from the front counter, calling for the shopkeeper, stopped either of them from continuing whatever they might have said and Benny dropped his head into his hands as soon as he was out of sight.

He’d always  _ meant  _ to tell him at some point. Once he realized that he’d been falling for him, it had been his plan to tell him. It was only that every time such an opportunity came up, Benny froze, unsure how to say so, to reveal that he’d been hiding such a big part of who he was from him. Now, of course, it seemed any way would have been better than how Usnavi had actually come to find out the truth. 

If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the barely-there pressure of Usnavi’s lips on his and he lifted his fingers to them, sure that something about them would be different, changed for having touched his. 

The drone of conversation from the front seemed to be dying down, and with a twinge, Benny could hear clearly in Usnavi’s voice how fake his cheer was when he told the staff to give the prince his best, how much he hoped he’d like the design.

The tinkling of a bell meant signalled the departure of his staff. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, Benny walked into the front of the store.

Usnavi tensed when he did so, obviously aware he was there, but didn’t turn around to face him. Swallowing to keep his voice steady, Benny whispered, apologetic, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out like that.”

At that, he finally turned around, hurt and anger and resignation in his expression. “Did you mean for me to find out at all?” he challenged. A flash of a realization crossed his face and he tacked on, “Your Highness.” It came out derisively, a little wobbly as though he were struggling to keep his voice steady through the disbelief and anger and hurt. 

A wholly unamused laugh escaped him as he said, shaking his head slowly, “You’re the  _ prince _ .” Confusion laced through every word of it. It seemed as though he were saying to make the idea of it sound real to him. 

Benny opened his mouth and shut it again, searching desperately for the words to explain everything to him but found none. Usnavi stood right in front of him and he could still feel the warmth from when he’d blushed on his palm, still see the tender expression on his face the second before he’d closed his eyes to kiss him and he could think of nothing to say, the atmosphere between them so different from just mere moments ago.

He reached out to cup his face again, another apology on his lips, but Usnavi took a step back and Benny lowered it again. 

“God,” he whispered in an infinitely small voice, “I’m a blacksmith who has fallen in love with a prince.” With one last sad glance at him, Usnavi turned around and headed into the back room; it was obvious that Benny was not invited to follow. 

He stood still, staring at the spot where he’d just been, running his hand down his face. Slowly, he pulled a card out from the inside pocket of his jacket and laid it out deliberately where he knew that Usnavi would see it and left.

On the counter of the blacksmith’s shop laid an invitation to the coronation ball.


	4. the coronation

Coronation day had arrived, and Benny was in his room, talking with Nina while different servants fussed over every aspect of his appearance.

“You should have told him,” Nina sighed, reproach evident in her voice. The dresser, who was currently checking to make sure every aspect of his outfit was perfect, had a look on her face as though she were not listening in. The way her hands slowed ever so slightly whenever they spoke belied the pretense.

“I know,” Benny replied simply, not wanting this to become a further topic of castle gossip. He released a sharp exhale. “I know.”

Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck in frustration, he let his head fall forward, consternation obvious on his face. In the distance, church bells chimed eleven, and he snapped his head back up. There was no time now to be caught up in the mess he’d made of his relationship with Usnavi. He took a deep breath and smoothed the emotion off of his face. His dresser gave him one last glance over, and nodded to him. 

Turning away from Nina and looking in the mirror, Benny saw that he looked every inch the king he did not feel he was. Letting the subject drop, Nina came up behind him and placed her hands reassuringly on his shoulders. “You’ll do perfectly today. Everything will be fine.” 

With a small smile, Benny met her eyes in the mirror and, gratitude and emotion obvious in his voice, whispered, “Thank you.” 

As she made her way out to finish getting ready herself, he turned back to the mirror, schooling his features into a perfect show of confidence. In situations like this, he’d learned from practice, looking calm and in control was almost just as good as actually being calm and in control. 

Stepping out of his rooms, the flurry of the castle in motion, all the cleaning and decorating and preparing, had died down; everything that could have been done to prepare for this moment had been and it felt eerily still without all the commotion. All that was left was a mere hour - less now - of waiting. 

Benny had the thought of running to see Usnavi, the way he had so many times before to escape the pressure, to feel normal for a little while. With no time left, and things the way they were, he had to admit to himself that it wasn’t a reasonable proposition, no matter how much he might have wished it to be.

He would not miss his own coronation. The country he loved, the country he dedicated his life to, was waiting for him with bated breath. He would be made their king. 

Joy at the idea of it drew a smile across his face, feeling settled about it now that there was no time left for nerves. He would not run.

Instead, he wandered around the halls, smiling brightly at the people he passed, right on time for where he had to be to begin his coronation.

* * *

 

All the rehearsals and lessons that had led up to this exact moment that he had resented for taking up his time, that he had run to escape from, that he’d had stress dreams about, he was suddenly grateful for. If he had not memorized precisely what was to happen to the point where he could do it in his sleep, Benny was sure it would not have happened at all. 

He couldn’t hear the court talking over the deafening roar of blood pounding in his ears, and he responded correctly only because he knew what they would be saying without having to hear it. He couldn’t even hear himself repeating back the words of the promises of the king of this land: to guard, to lead, to love his people. He rose from where he was kneeling, a wealth of emotion pricking at his eyes in tears he would not let show. 

When his oath was done, and he sat upon the throne that was now his, the roaring in his ears was drowned out by the roaring of applause of the people who’d come to see his coronation. 

The crown was placed on his head and looking out at the crowd, his back straight and face proud, it felt like an immense weight. Somehow, the feel of it comforted him, settled him, gave him a challenge to rise up to.

* * *

 

Benny felt as though his feet had not had time to even touch the ground as soon as the ceremony was over. He’d been whisked away back inside, needing to prepare himself for the ball that would be starting at his entrance. 

The outfit he’d worn for the coronation, heavy and formal and ostentatious, was changed for something easier to dance in, though no less impressive. Benny swallowed as he clipped the sword Usnavi had made for him to his belt. During the coronation itself, he hadn’t had time to pause when it had been presented to him, no matter the conflicting emotions that had risen inside him upon receiving it. 

This sword was the reason he’d met Usnavi at all. The fact that the sword was his was the reason there was a divide between them. 

It was beautiful, as he’d known it would be; he ran his fingers delicately over the inlays and patterns as though he could feel Usnavi’s touch through his work. 

He hadn’t checked what answer he had given to the invitation he’d left for him that day, whether he had bothered to send in a response at all. Nerves had stopped him every time, not sure he could handle knowing, no matter which result it would be. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted tonight; the ball was the first political event of his reign and demanded nothing less than his entire attention.

Steadying his nerves, he took a deep breath and nodded at the servants in front of him, giving the order for them to swing open the double doors in front of him, walking into the ballroom to the sound of trumpeting fanfare. The crowd as one turned to face him, their gazes curious and adoring. Even those who lived here in the castle seemed dazzled by the display.

With a smile and a nod towards the conductor, the band struck up its first song of the night, and the ball began.

Slipping into a well-rehearsed routine, Benny navigated the necessary politics of the night; he knew exactly which members of court to dance with, which foreign nobles to greet and thank for their attendance, which words to say at what time to give the best impression of himself possible. 

It was, quite frankly, exhausting. It was not as though he did not like these people, or that the sentiments he was expressing were false. Merely that he was expected to be perfect and witty and charming in all of these interactions when a large part of him desperately wanted to ignore the duty he had tonight and spend time looking for Usnavi, to see if he’d come. 

Taking a break from it all, he stepped onto the sidelines, pouring himself a cup of coffee from a refreshment cart; as long as this ball was going on, he’d have to be awake for it and drinking something was a perfect excuse to not have to speak to anyone at the present moment.

“Surely, you have servants to pour that for you, Your Majesty?”

Usnavi’s voice, hesitant yet warm, came up from behind him. 

One of the first wholly genuine smiles of the night spread across his face at the sight of him. 

“Certainly. But I also have two arms that work just fine on their own. I don’t feel the need to have people incessantly fussing over things I can do for myself.” he replied, the sight of Usnavi’s wide smile telling him that, somehow, something about it was the correct answer. 

With a gesture, he asked if he would like a cup of coffee as well, and in the easy conversation that followed, Benny felt as though he were sitting in the intimate backroom of Usnavi’s shop once more, rather than in his own ballroom, surrounded by everyone he’s ever met and a few more people besides. 

He took a step forward, intending to apologize, to explain why he’d kept silent about who he was, about how he had just now felt the exact some way about him as he always had. Reaching out, he took Usnavi’s hand in his and loud cheer from the crowd at some spectacular dance move broke the spell. 

Benny was immediately aware of where he was, the role he was expected to play tonight, and how long he’d been away from the center of his own celebrations. Turning back to face Usnavi, he said quietly, “It is a lot to ask, but would you be willing to stay? Until the dance is through? I… I really would like to talk to you.” 

When Usnavi nodded, Benny picked up his hand, placing a kiss to his knuckles before heading back to the dance floor.


	5. after the ball

Buoyed by the promise of a conversation with Usnavi, Benny kept a smile on his face throughout the rest of the night. He had to admit he was pleased to see the steady stream of guests filtering out of the doors to the castle. Balls had never been his favorite and he’d been especially anxious to get to the end of this one, his thoughts never straying too far from what he wanted to say to Usnavi.

Bowing to the last guest entering their carriage, he gave a sigh of relief and headed back inside, finding Usnavi standing by the coffee cart they’d been at earlier. Even as tired and distracted as he looked, Benny couldn’t help thinking he was beautiful. That feeling was only intensified as Usnavi looked up with a smile when he realized that he was there. 

“Thank you,” he said, hoping he sounded as grateful as he was, “for staying.” A pause, as Benny’s eyes swept the room, aware of his ever-present guard and the lack of privacy it afforded this moment. A brilliant idea struck him and he offered, “If you’ll come with me?”

Wariness returned to Usnavi’s expression but still he nodded, following close behind as he led him over to a stairwell. 

Benny turned with a raised eyebrow to the guard when he continued to follow them and said, in what was phrased as a suggestion but could only actually be interpreted as an order, “Why don’t you guard the door, here? To make sure no one follows and takes us by surprise?”

With the guard out of the way, he continued his way up, occasionally resting his hand on the small of Usnavi’s back to direct as to which way they’d be going. At the top of another long, winding staircase, Benny pushed open the door, stepping back to allow Usnavi through first.

* * *

 

Stars twinkled above the mountaintops in the distance, the warm lights of towns steady in the darkness; the view was breathtaking, and Benny stood silently as Usnavi walked in a circle around the top of the tower he’d brought him to, soaking in a sight he’d never seen before.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” he mused, seeing the enraptured look on his face. 

“Yes,” Usnavi replied, breathless. “Ah, yes, Your Majesty,” he corrected, in much more anxious tone.

A discontented frown tugged at the corners of Benny’s lips. “As I said the first day we met, I’d much prefer to be called Benny,” he reminded him, hoping to bring back the smile that had disap..peared at the remembrance of his station.

Hurt flashed across his face instead, and he nodded in acknowledgement, voice tight, “That you did.”

Uncomfortable silence fell between them for a moment and Benny knew that this was the time he had to set everything right. Determination filled him as he began, “I did always mean to tell you, you know. You asked, that day, if I had and - and I did, truly. More than a few times. That invitation wasn’t in my pocket by chance. I was going to tell you, going to ask you to come tonight.” 

Shutting his eyes, Benny searched for the right words to keep explaining, when Usnavi spoke.

“Yeah, when I saw the invitation, I knew you must have been planning on telling me sometime. I highly doubt you were going to let me discover who you were when I showed up at the coronation itself.”

A bark of laughter left Benny, “No, no, that certainly wasn’t the plan.” The amusement in his voice faded away as he continued, “And neither was the way you ended up finding out. It should have been me to tell you. You didn’t deserve to hear it indirectly through the gossip of my staff. I’m sorry.” 

Usnavi’s voice was small, but curious, rather than hurt or angry, as he asked, “Why didn’t you? Tell me, I mean. What stopped you?” 

Benny knew the answer.

“I - well, when we first met, I didn’t intend to come back. I had actually snuck out of the castle to run an errand to your shop. And then, when I met you…” He trailed off, hoping Usnavi understood. “When I came back, at first I didn’t say anything because it was nice, being treated like I was just like anybody else. And then more and more time went by, and I found myself,” a pause where he considered the right word, “ _ unwilling _ to have anything change between us. The way we were. I - I knew I was falling for you, and I didn’t want you to look at me any differently, not when I so loved the way you already did.”

Usnavi took a shuddering inhale, turning to face him. “Loved?” he asked, tentative, afraid of the hope that was also in his voice.

“Mmhm,” Benny hummed in confirmation, an adoring smile on his face, “A King who has fallen in love with a blacksmith.” Stepping closer, he reached out and cupped Usnavi’s face exactly the way he had that evening in the back room of his shop. Just as then, he couldn’t resist being drawn in, leaning down to kiss him, knowing that this time there would be no interruption. 

He marveled at the feeling of Usnavi’s lips on his, soft and yielding as they moved together, neither willing to bring themselves to pull back and end the kiss. Breathlessly, they broke apart eventually, matching smiles on their faces. 

Usnavi buried his face in Benny’s chest and he wrapped his arms around him, holding him there tightly. Mumbling, he asked, face still pressed against him, “What do we do now? Surely, we can’t… I’m not nobility, Benny.”

“Ah,” he said, with a tone that clearly conveyed he’d thought about this before, “if only one of us were sovereign monarch, able to strike down laws he didn’t agree with.” Laughter had bubbled up inside him, ruining the exaggeratedly rueful way he’d said it. “There are already people on the council on my side about this.”

When Usnavi looked up at him, questioning, he nodded, laughing to himself a little more, “And I’m sure Nina will absolutely be willing to embarrass me by telling you how often I talked about you to her.” 

Giggling, he buried himself deeper into his chest, saying, “I love you, too.”

They stayed there for a little while longer, holding each other and talking. With him wrapped in his arms, Benny felt when Usnavi the shivered, the night getting cold around them. Taking his hand, he led him back down the stairs into the main castle, laughing a little at the sour expression his guard gave him at having been brushed off earlier when they had first gone up. 

Glancing at the clock, he felt a little more sympathy for the man as he realized just how long he and Usnavi had been up there. In fact, sunrise was probably not too far away.

The exhaustion of the night seemed to register in Benny all at once, and his own drowsiness was mirrored on Usnavi’s face. A hand on his back to lead the way once more, he led him down a long hall, double doors opening in front of him once more as they entered his room for the night. 

Anxiety flitted quickly across Usnavi’s face before smoothing out, but Benny caught the look, dropping a chaste kiss to his forehead and reassuring, “We’re just going to sleep. I can, of course, find you other arrangements for the night. I didn’t mean to imply that you had to-”

His nervous rambling was cut off by Usnavi leaning up on tip-toe, sweetly stopping his lips with a kiss. “Sleeping sounds nice.” 

A little bit shy, Benny pulled out a set of pajamas and handed them over to Usnavi before turning and changing into his own. Many times, he wanted to look over, hearing the sound of his clothes hit the floor, picturing in his mind what Usnavi might look like, blushing and beautiful and completely exposed to him. Instead, he shut his eyes, refocused on changing his own clothes.

He couldn’t deny that he was just as excited for this, too. The chance to simply hold Usnavi in his arms, to drift off to sleep knowing that he was there with him. 

To get his attention, Usnavi cleared his throat a little self-consciously, and Benny turned back around to face him, a grin spreading over his face at how adorably  _ small _ he looked wearing his clothes. Aware that he was staring when he began to blush in front of him, Benny turned and pulled back the covers to give himself something to do. 

Contentedly, he crawled in beside Usnavi, the two of them arranging themselves to be lying side by side, his arm draped across him, holding him tight so that there was almost no room between them. 

The sound of Usnavi’s breathing evened out before long and Benny found himself falling asleep to the rhythmic sound, a soft smile on his face. 

Tomorrow, the castle would be quiet, having already told his servants to take the day off after needing to work late into the night tonight. His last thoughts before sleep overtook him was of a day spent entirely lazing around with Usnavi, needing to go nowhere at all and needing to do nothing but spend time with the man he loved. 

He had an entire future with him to look forward to, and tomorrow was just the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell about this with me @ sintheheights on tumblr


End file.
